Agruicultural machine, particularly of the rotary mower type, comprising an improved chopping device

ABSTRACT

An agricultural machine fitted with a chopping device. The chopping device includes a guard, at least three chopping members disposed above the guard and that are linked thereto to pivot around a shaft directed upwards, and transmission elements that rotate the chopping members around the respective shafts. Among the chopping members at least two adjacent chopping members rotate in opposite directions converging towards the front. The distance separating the rotary shafts of two adjacent chopping members rotating in opposite directions converging towards the front is greater than at least a distance separating the rotary shafts of two adjacent chopping members having directions of rotation that do not converge towards the front. The arrangement of the chopping members in this manner can be used advantageously to improve the removal of the chopped product towards the rear of the chopping device.

[0001] The present invention relates to the overall technical field ofagricultural machinery and in particular to the field of machines of themower or mower-conditioner type.

[0002] More specifically, the present invention relates to anagricultural machine equipped with a cutting device, said cutting devicecomprising:

[0003] a casing,

[0004] at least three cutting members arranged above said casing andconnected to said casing such that they can pivot about anupwardly-directed respective axis,

[0005] transmission elements driving the rotation of said cuttingmembers about said respective axes, and

[0006] of said cutting members, at least two adjacent cutting membershaving directions of rotation that are opposed and converge toward thefront.

[0007] An agricultural machine such as this is known from the prior art,particularly from document EP 1 002 458 A1. Indeed, that documentdescribes a disk mower comprising a cutting device and a chassis. Saidchassis allows said cutting device to be connected to an agriculturaltractor. For its part, said cutting device comprises a casing andcutting members. Said cutting members are arranged at regular intervalsabove said casing. In addition, said cutting members are connected suchthat they can pivot to said casing by means of a respective articulationthe axis of which is directed upward. During work, said cutting membersare rotationally driven by transmission elements so as to cut a standingproduct, for example grass.

[0008] For this, each cutting member comprises, in that earlierdocument, a support in the form of a disk and two cutting elements. Saidcutting elements are connected to the periphery of said support, on eachside of the axis of rotation of the corresponding cutting member. Duringwork, said cutting elements therefore describe a circle about said axisof rotation and cut the standing product by impact. For its part, saidsupport, in addition to connecting said cutting elements to said axis ofrotation, also has the function of conveying the product thus cut.

[0009] In a way known to those skilled in the art, said cutting membersare close enough together that the circles described by the cuttingelements of two adjacent cutting members overlap. As a result, the pathsof the cutting elements of two adjacent cutting members cross at twopoints. In order for the standing product to be cut across the entirewidth of said cutting device, one of said points of intersection hasnecessarily to be situated forward of said casing.

[0010] In a way also known to those skilled in the art, the cuttingmembers of a mower do not all adopt the same direction of rotation.Thus, this known mower comprises, on the one hand, adjacent cuttingmembers that have identical directions of rotation. Such cuttingmembers, generally situated at the ends of said casing, advantageouslyallow the cut product to be brought close to a vertical mid-plane ofsaid cutting device. This known mower also comprises adjacent cuttingmembers that have directions of rotation that are opposed and convergetoward the front. Such cutting members on the other hand allow said cutproduct to be conveyed to the rear of said cutting device. Finally, thisknown mower may also comprise adjacent cutting members that havedirections of rotation that are opposed and diverge toward the front.

[0011] With the rotary mowers as described in that earlier document, itis important to obtain effective discharge of the cut product toward therear of said cutting device. This is because poor discharge of the cutproduct could clog the working area of said cutting elements and thusdegrade the cutting quality of said mower. In practice, it is also foundthat poorly discharged cut product may cause said cutting device to jam,that is to say the rotation of said cutting members to become jammed. Toimprove the conveyance of the cut product at said cutting members,agricultural machinery constructors have hitherto concentrated on theshape and/or size of said supports and of said cutting elements.

[0012] The present invention advantageously proposes a novel approach toimproving the conveyance of the cut product toward the rear of saidcutting device and for thus obtaining remarkable cutting quality.

[0013] Effectively, the agricultural machine of the present invention ischaracterized in that the distance separating the axes of rotation oftwo adjacent cutting members having directions of rotation that areopposed and converge toward the front, is greater than at least adistance separating the axes of rotation of two adjacent cutting membersthat have directions of rotation that do not converge toward the front.

[0014] As a result, the increase in the distance separating the axes ofrotation of two adjacent cutting members that have directions ofrotation that are opposed and converge toward the front advantageouslymakes it possible to increase the longitudinal component of the tangentto the point of intersection of the circles described by saidcorresponding cutting elements. The increase in said longitudinalcomponent gives rise to better conveying of the cut product toward therear of said cutting device. The cutting quality of said mower is thusimproved.

[0015] In order to maintain the same cutting-device working width, theincrease in said distance separating the axes of rotation of twoadjacent cutting members that have directions of rotation that areopposed and converge toward the front, is accompanied by a reduction inat least one of said distances separating the axes of rotation of twoadjacent cutting members that have directions of rotation that do notconverge toward the front. This reduction in the distance between twoadjacent cutting members advantageously makes it possible to increasethe area of overlap of the circles described by the correspondingcutting elements. A greater area of overlap improves the cutting qualityof said mower still further.

[0016] Other characteristics of the invention, to be consideredseparately or in all possible combinations, will become further apparentfrom the following description of a nonlimiting exemplary embodiment ofthe invention, depicted in the appended drawings, in which:

[0017]FIG. 1 depicts, in a view from above, an agricultural machineaccording to the invention,

[0018]FIG. 2 depicts, viewed from the rear in the direction of arrow IIdefined in FIG. 1, the agricultural machine of FIG. 1,

[0019]FIG. 3 depicts, viewed from above and to a different scale, thecutting members of the agricultural machine of FIG. 1.

[0020]FIG. 1 depicts, in a view from above, an agricultural mower (1)according to the present invention. Said mower (1) is coupled to a motorvehicle (2) which pulls it along in a direction and sense of forwardtravel, indicated by the arrow (3). In the remainder of the description,the following ideas of “front” and “rear”, “in front of” and “behind”are defined with respect to the direction of forward travel (3) and theideas of “right” and “left” are defined when viewing said mower (1) fromthe rear in the direction of forward travel (3).

[0021] In a way known to those skilled in the art, said mower (1)comprises a cutting device (4) intended to cut a standing product suchas grass for example. Said mower (1) also comprises a chassis (5)allowing said cutting device (4) to be connected to said motor vehicle(2).

[0022] In the exemplary embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, saidagricultural mower (1) is of the rear mounted type. During work, saidchassis (5) is therefore coupled to a three-point lifting hitch (6) ofsaid motor vehicle (2) and said cutting device (4) is situated somewhatbehind and to the side of said motor vehicle (2). Such a chassis (5) ofa mower (1) is known per se and will not be described further. However,for fuller details, the person skilled in the art may refer to documentEP 0 723 739 where such a chassis (5) is perfectly well described.

[0023] The cutting device (4) according to the present inventioncomprises a casing (9) and at least three cutting members (7 a, 7 b, 7c, 7 d, 7 e). During work, depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, said casing (9)rests at least partially on the ground, transversely to said directionof travel (3). Said cutting members (7 a, 7 b, 7 c, 7 d, 7 e) are, fortheir part, driven in a direction of rotation (10 a, 10 b, 10 c, 10 d,10 e) about a respective axis (8 a, 8 b, 8 c, 8 d, 8 e) directed upward.For this, each cutting member (7 a, 7 b, 7 c, 7 d, 7 e) is connectedsuch that it can pivot to said casing (9) by means of a respectivearticulation. In addition, each cutting member (7 a, 7 b, 7 c, 7 d, 7 e)is engaged with a transmission element. In the work position, saidcutting members (7 a, 7 b, 7 c, 7 d, 7 e) are more precisely arrangedabove said casing (9). As a preference, said cutting members (7 a, 7 b,7 c, 7 d, 7 e) are aligned in a straight line and arranged in one andthe same plane of extension.

[0024] In the exemplary embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, saidcasing (9) is a one-piece casing and said transmission elements are madeup in particular of a train of gears arranged inside said casing (9).Each cutting member (7 a, 7 b, 7 c, 7 d, 7 e) is thus engaged with atleast one of said gears present inside said casing (9). In a way knownto those skilled in the art, said train of gears is driven by a powertake-off of said motor vehicle (2) by means in particular of auniversal-jointed telescopic transmission shaft (14), a system of beltsand pulleys (15) and a transmission box (16).

[0025] As can be seen more specifically in FIG. 3, each cutting member(7 a, 7 b, 7 c, 7 d, 7 e) advantageously comprises a support (17 a, 17b, 17 c, 17 d, 17 e) and two cutting elements (11 a, 11 b, 11 c, 11 d,11 e). Said support (17 a, 17 b, 17 c, 17 d, 17 e) has an oval shapecentered on said axis of rotation (8 a, 8 b, 8 c, 8 d, 8 e). Saidcutting elements (11 a, 11 b, 11 c, 11 d, 11 e) are connected to theperiphery of said support (17 a, 17 b, 17 c, 17 d, 17 e) on each side ofsaid axis of rotation (8 a, 8 b, 8 c, 8 d, 8 e). More specifically, saidcutting elements (11 a, 11 b, 11 c, 11 d, 11 e) are advantageouslyarranged at the ends of a major diameter of said oval shape.

[0026] During work, said cutting members (7 a, 7 b, 7 c, 7 d, 7 e) arerotationally driven. Said cutting elements (11 a, 11 b, 11 c, 11 d, 11e) therefore describe circles (18 a, 18 b, 18 c, 18 d, 18 e) about saidaxis of rotation (8 a, 8 b, 8 c, 8 d, 8 e) of the respective cuttingmember (7 a, 7 b, 7 c, 7 d, 7 e). For clarity, said circles (18 a, 18 b,18 c, 18 d, 18 e) are depicted in dotted lines in FIGS. 1 and 3. Thehigh speed of travel thus reached by said cutting elements (11 a, 11 b,11 c, 11 d, 11 e) allows these elements to cut said standing product byimpact. As a preference, said circles (18 a, 18 b, 18 c, 18 d, 18 e)described by the various cutting elements (11 a, 11 b, 11 c, 11 d, 11 e)have identical diameters. For its part, each support (17 a, 17 b, 17 c,17 d, 17 e), in addition to connecting said cutting elements (11 a, 11b, 11 c, 11 d, 11 e) to said respective axis of rotation (8 a, 8 b, 8 c,8 d, 8 e), also has a function of conveying the cut product.

[0027] As can be seen from FIG. 3, said cutting members (7 a, 7 b, 7 c,7 d, 7 e) are close enough together that said circles (18 a, 18 b, 18 c,18 d, 18 e) described by said respective cutting elements (11 a, 11 b,11 c, 11 d, 11 e) overlap. The paths of the cutting elements (11 a, 11b, 11 c, 11 d, 11 e) of two adjacent cutting members (7 a, 7 b, 7 c, 7d, 7 e) therefore cross at points of intersection (19). As a preference,one of said points of intersection (19) is advantageously situatedforward of said casing (9). Thus, the overlap of the cutting areasadvantageously guarantees cutting of said standing product across theentire working width (23) of said cutting device (4).

[0028] In a particularly advantageous way, said cutting members (7 a, 7b, 7 c, 7 d, 7 e) are angularly offset from one another. In theexemplary embodiment depicted in the figures, this angular offset is byabout 90 degrees. Said transmission elements arranged inside said casing(9) allow the rotation of said cutting members (7 a, 7 b, 7 c, 7 d, 7 e)to be synchronized. During work, said angular offset is thereforemaintained. Thus, in spite of the overlap of the areas in which saidcutting elements (11 a, 11 b, 11 c, 11 d, 11 e) move, said cuttingmembers (7 a, 7 b, 7 c, 7 d, 7 e) cannot strike each other.

[0029] In the exemplary embodiment depicted in the figures, said cuttingdevice (4) more specifically comprises five cutting members (7 a, 7 b, 7c, 7 d, 7 e). For clarity in the remainder of the description and in thefigures, the objets that apply to one and the same cutting member willbe referenced with the same suffix. Thus, said cutting member (7 a) isrotationally driven about an axis (8 a) in a direction of rotation (10a).

[0030] As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 3, the cutting member (7 a)situated furthest to the left of said casing (9) rotates, when viewedfrom above, in the clockwise direction (10 a). For its part, the cuttingmember (7 e) situated furthest to the right of said casing (9) rotatesin the counterclockwise direction (10 e). Thus, said cutting members (7a, 7 e) situated at the ends of said casing (9) advantageously allowsaid cut product to be brought closer to a vertical mid-plane of saidcutting device (4).

[0031] In the exemplary embodiment depicted in the figures, said cuttingmembers (7 b, 7 d) also rotate in the clockwise direction (10 b, 10 d).Whereas said cutting member (7 c) rotates in the counterclockwisedirection (10 c). As a result, said cutting device (4) comprises:

[0032] adjacent cutting members (7 a, 7 b) rotating in the samedirection of rotation (10 a, 10 b),

[0033] adjacent cutting members (7 b, 7 c; 7 d, 7 e) that havedirections of rotation (10 b, 10 c; 10 d, 10 e) that are opposed andconverge toward the front, and

[0034] adjacent cutting members (7 c, 7 d) that have directions ofrotation (10 c, 10 d) that are opposed and diverge toward the front.

[0035] In a way known to those skilled in the art, said adjacent cuttingmembers (7 a, 7 b) rotating in the same direction of rotation (10 a, 10b) allow said cut product to be conveyed transversely to said directionof travel (3). While said adjacent cutting members (7 b, 7 c; 7 d, 7 e)that have directions of rotation (10 b, 10 c; 10 d, 10 e) that areopposed and converge toward the front allow said cut product to beconveyed toward the rear of said cutting device (4).

[0036] According to an important feature of the present invention, thedistance (12) separating the axes of rotation (8 b, 8 c; 8 d, 8 e) oftwo adjacent cutting members (7 b, 7 c; 7 d, 7 e) having directions ofrotation (10 b, 10 c; 10 d, 10 e) that are opposed and converge towardthe front, is greater than at least a distance (13, 22) separating theaxes of rotation (8 a, 8 b; 8 c, 8 d) of two adjacent cutting members (7a, 7 b; 7 c, 7 d) that have directions of rotation (10 a, 10 b; 10 c, 10d) that do not converge toward the front.

[0037] As can be seen more particularly in FIG. 3, the increase in thedistance (12) separating the axes of rotation (8 b, 8 c; 8 d, 8 e) oftwo adjacent cutting members (7 b, 7 c; 7 d, 7 e) that have directionsof rotation (10 b, 10 c; 10 d, 10 e) that are opposed and convergetoward the front advantageously allows the longitudinal component (21)of the tangent (20) to the point of intersection (19) of said circles(18 b, 10 c; 18 d, 18 e) to be increased. The increase in saidlongitudinal component (21) gives rise to better conveyance of said cutproduct toward the rear of said cutting device (4).

[0038] If, because of space constraints, the working width (23) of saidcutting device (4) has to remain the same, the increase in said distance(12) separating the axes of rotation (8 b, 8 c; 8 d, 8 e) of twoadjacent cutting members (7 b, 7 c; 7 d, 7 e) that have directions ofrotation (10 b, 10 c; 10 d, 10 e) that are opposed and converge towardthe front is accompanied by a reduction in at least one of said distance(13, 22) separating the axes of rotation (8 a, 8 b; 8 c, 8 d) of twoadjacent cutting members (7 a, 7 b; 7 c, 7 d) that have directions ofrotation (10 a, 10 b; 10 c, 10 d) that do not converge toward the front.This reduction in distance (13, 22) between two adjacent cutting members(7 a, 7 b; 7 c, 7 d) advantageously allows an increase in the area ofoverlap of said circles (18 a, 18 b; 18 c, 18 d) described by saidcorresponding cutting elements (11 a, 11 b; 11 c, 11 d).

[0039] According to another exemplary embodiment according to thepresent invention and not depicted in the figures, said distance (12)separating the axes of rotation (8 b, 8 c; 8 d, 8 e) of two adjacentcutting members (7 b, 7 c; 7 d, 7 e) that have directions of rotation(10 b, 10 c; 10 d, 10 e) that are opposed and converge toward the frontis:

[0040] greater than said distance (13) separating the axes of rotation(8 c, 8 d) of two adjacent cutting members (7 c, 7 d) that havedirections of rotation (10 c, 10 d) that are opposed and diverge towardthe front, and

[0041] equal to said distance (22) separating the axes of rotation (8 a,8 b) of two adjacent cutting members (7 a, 7 b) that have identicaldirections of rotation (10 a, 10 b).

[0042] Likewise, according to another exemplary embodiment according tothe present invention and not depicted, said distance (12) separatingthe axes of rotation (8 b, 8 c; 8 d, 8 e) of two adjacent cuttingmembers (7 b, 7 c; 7 d, 7 e) that have directions of rotation (10 b, 10c; 10 d, 10 e) that are opposed and converge toward the front, is:

[0043] greater than said distance (22) separating the axes of rotation(8 a, 8 b) of two adjacent cutting members (7 a, 7 b) that haveidentical directions of rotation (10 a, 10 b), and

[0044] equal to said distance (13) separating the axes of rotation (8 c,8 d) of two adjacent cutting members (7 c, 7 d) that have directions ofrotation (10 c, 10 d) that are opposed and diverge toward the front.

[0045] As a preference, the value of said distance (12) separating theaxes of rotation (8 b, 8 c; 8 d, 8 e) of two adjacent cutting members (7b, 7 c; 7 d, 7 e) that have directions of rotation (10 b, 10 c; 10 d, 10e) that are opposed and converge toward the front is identical for allsaid adjacent cutting members (7 b, 7 c; 7 d, 7 e) that have directionsof rotation (10 b, 10 c; 10 d, 10 e) that are opposed and convergetoward the front.

[0046] Also as a preference, the value of said distance (13) separatingthe axes of rotation (8 c, 8 d) of two adjacent cutting members (7 c, 7d) that have directions of rotation (10 c, 10 d) that are opposed anddiverge toward the front is identical for all said adjacent cuttingmembers (7 c, 7 d) that have directions of rotation (10 c, 10 d) thatare opposed and diverge toward to the front.

[0047] In addition, the value of said distance (22) separating the axesof rotation (8 a, 8 b) of two adjacent cutting members (7 a, 7 b) thathave identical directions of rotation (10 a, 10 b) is advantageously thesame for all said adjacent cutting members (7 a, 7 b) that haveidentical directions of rotation (10 a, 10 b).

[0048] As a result, said cutting members (7 a, 7 b, 7 c, 7 d, 7 e) arearranged above said casing (9) with at most three different spacings.Thus, it becomes simpler to produce said transmission elements andarrange them inside said casing (9).

[0049] The mower (1) and the cutting device (4) that have just beendescribed are merely one example that must not be taken to limit thefield of protection defined by the claims that follow.

[0050] Thus, the cutting device (4) according to the present inventionmay also equip a mower of the trailed type or a self-propelled mower.

[0051] According to another exemplary embodiment that has not beendepicted, said casing (9) is a modular casing. What this means is saidcasing (9) is made up of a collection of modules joined together, eachmodule supporting a cutting member (7 a, 7 b, 7 c, 7 d, 7 e). Inaddition, said transmission elements present in said casing (9) can alsobe produced by means of transmission shafts, pinions involving anglegears, chains or any other known means.

[0052] Said support (17 a, 17 b, 17 c, 17 d, 17 e) of said cuttingmembers (7 a, 7 b, 7 c, 7 d, 7 e) may have a different shape, forexample may be circular or triangular, and supported a different numberof cutting elements (11 a, 11 b, 11 c, 11 d, 11 e).

[0053] According to another exemplary embodiment that has not beendepicted, said cutting device (4) comprises a different number ofcutting member (7 a, 7 b, 7 c, 7 d, 7 e) higher than two. In addition,the distribution of the directions of rotation (10 a, 10 b, 10 c, 10 d,10 e) between the various cutting members (7 a, 7 b, 7 c, 7 d, 7 e) canalso differ provided that there are at least two adjacent cuttingmembers (7 b, 7 c; 7 d, 7 e) that have directions of rotation (10 b, 10c; 10 d, 10 e) that are opposed and converge toward the front.

1-14 (Canceled). 15: An agricultural machine equipped with a cuttingdevice, said cutting device comprising: a casing; at least three cuttingmembers arranged above said casing and connected to said casing andconfigured to pivot about an upwardly-directed respective axis,transmission elements driving rotation of said cutting members aboutsaid respective axes; wherein of said cutting members, at least twoadjacent cutting members have directions of rotation that are opposedand converge toward a front, and wherein a distance separating axes ofrotation of the two adjacent cutting members having directions ofrotation that are opposed and converge toward the front is greater thanat least a distance separating axes of rotation of two adjacent cuttingmembers that have directions of rotation that do not converge toward thefront. 16: The agricultural machine as claimed in claim 15, wherein saiddistance separating the axes of rotation of the two adjacent cuttingmembers that have directions of rotation that are opposed and convergetoward the front is: greater than said distance separating the axes ofrotation of the two adjacent cutting members that have directions ofrotation that are opposed and diverge toward the front, and equal to adistance separating axes of rotation of two adjacent cutting membersthat have identical directions of rotation. 17: The agricultural machineas claimed in claim 15, wherein said distance separating the axes ofrotation of the two adjacent cutting members that have directions ofrotation that are opposed and converge toward the front is: greater thana distance separating axes of rotation of two adjacent cutting membersthat have identical directions of rotation, and equal to said distanceseparating the axes of rotation of the two adjacent cutting members thathave directions of rotation that are opposed and diverge toward thefront. 18: The agricultural machine as claimed in claim 15, wherein saiddistance separating the axes of rotation of the two adjacent cuttingmembers having directions of rotation that are opposed and divergetoward the front is equal to a distance separating axes of rotation oftwo adjacent cutting members having identical directions of rotation.19: The agricultural machine as claimed in claim 15, wherein a value ofsaid distance separating the axes of rotation of the two adjacentcutting members that have directions of rotation that are opposed andconverge toward the front is identical for all adjacent cutting membersthat have directions of rotation that are opposed and converge towardthe front. 20: The agricultural machine as claimed in claim 15, whereina value of said distance separating the axes of rotation of the twoadjacent cutting members that have directions of rotation that areopposed and diverge toward the front is identical for all adjacentcutting members that have directions of rotation that are opposed anddiverge toward the front. 21: The agricultural machine as claimed inclaim 15, wherein a value of a distance separating axes of rotation oftwo adjacent cutting members that have identical directions of rotationis the same for all adjacent cutting members that have identicaldirections of rotation. 22: The agricultural machine as claimed in claim15, wherein said cutting members are aligned in one straight line. 23:The agricultural machine as claimed in claim 15, wherein said cuttingmembers are arranged in one single plane of extension. 24: Theagricultural machine as claimed in claim 15, wherein said cuttingmembers comprise cutting elements that describe, during work, circlesabout the axis of rotation of said respective cutting member, saidcircles all being of a same diameter. 25: The agricultural machine asclaimed in claim 24, wherein a path of said cutting elements of twoadjacent cutting members cross at points of intersection. 26: Theagricultural machine as claimed in claim 15, wherein said transmissionelements are arranged inside said casing. 27: The agricultural machineas claimed in claim 15, wherein said agricultural machine is a mower.28: The agricultural machine as claimed in claim 15, wherein saidagricultural machine is a mower-conditioner.